Tammy Wynette's daughters seek public support for name change

The gravesites of country music stars are some of the most popular tourist destinations in Nashville, but those wanting to pay tribute to Tammy Wynette may have a hard time finding her.

Her body is in the same mausoleum it's been in for more than 15 years, but the name on the front is something completely different.

Now, after months of trying to get her name restored, Wynette's daughters have turned to social media for support.

"At this point, we're at our wits' end. We've tried everything to get her to change the name back," said Wynette's daughter, Georgette Jones Lennon. "We just have to do what we can do to make sure our mother is shown respect and honor."

Lennon is one of Wynette's four biological daughters who say they were duped by their step-sister into temporarily changing the name on their mother's tomb to Wynette's married name, Virginia W. Richardson.

"She's never been able to give us a good reason for changing it in the first place. We just trusted her, because she was an attorney," Lennon said. "It's just disrespectful not to change it back to what it should be."

Lennon said the name change was supposed to be temporary. She said their step-sister, Deirdre Richardson Hale, said it is was necessary in order to file a lawsuit to regain some of their mother's personal belongings.

But the lawsuit was never filed.

And because the crypt was left in the step-sister's name, Wynette's daughters can't legally do much of anything about it. That's why they've launched a Facebook page to rally support.

So far, there's plenty of it.

"I definitely think it's up to her daughters to put what they want on it," said country music fan Kelsey Schaiterer.

The women are hoping the comments on Facebook will do what they haven't been able to, convince their step-sister to do what's right.

"I'm not trying to be ugly, but, at the end of the day, it is about respect and honor. It is the name that she deserves to have on her gravesite," Lennon said. "She owns the physical crypt, but she does not own our mother, and it's just wrong for her to do what she's doing."